Display-sign.



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5 INVENTOR PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907. G. W. CARR.

DISPLAY SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED APR 25 1906 AT EsT. i 5H0 PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907. G.W. CARR DISPLAY SIGN. APPLICATION FILED APR.25,1906.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NVENTOR AT TE! ST.

51: 73/7 ATTY PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907.

CARR.

DISPLAY SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED 11.25, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHBET 4.

INVENTQR TEsT.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. CARR, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

DISPLAY-SIGN.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

' Application filed April 26,1906 Serialllo- 813,692.

To all whom. it may concem:

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. CARR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Signs, and dodeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertainsto make and use the same.

My invention relates to display apparatus for advertisements and thelike, all substantially as shown and described and particularly pointedout in the claims.

'Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is an elevation of one of several complete unitsconstituting the full machine shown in 2.

Fig. 8 is a detail in p er spective of one of the display members ineach unit. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation,

' other takes its place and so on through a succession or series ofseparate and repeated exhibitions. as long as the machine continues tooperate, Now, with this general statement of the purpose and function ofthe machine it will be further observed in Fig. 1 that the field ofdisplay compasses the entire space within the border a'of' main frame A,and is constituted of a series of vertically disposed members whichstand upright and are so closely related at their edges that, at theusual distanc'from 'the observer, and with an illuminated sign runningacross the same, the division lines are not noticeable, and thisisaccording to the 'plan of the 'invention. Furthermore, as willhereinafter fully appear, each apparatus comprises a series of two' ormore unitary constituents which are practically complete in themselvesand are operatively related to or with others of like construction togive the display field its desired width and according to the widthdesired ina given machine. For example, Fig. 2, shows a series-oftensuch unitary devices, and there may be more or fewer and of anydesired or practical elevation. Each of said so-called units comprises aseries of eight unitary display members B which are built in the shapeof an equilateral triangle in cross section and have three equal sides,1', 2 and 3.- Said sides arefirmly secured together along their edgesand constitute a rigid structure which is especially wellscalculated forout of door work where .the machine is constantly exposed tothe elementsand plain blades or vanes get wet and warp to such an extent frequentlythat they become unserviceable. Hence by uniting the three sides in onepart I overcome all danger from warping and always keep the sidesstraight and smooth for display alinement. This also enables me to makesigns of exceptional height,

whereby I can utilize space not ordinarily available for sign machinesbecause, generally, they are planned more for width than elevation ofdisplay surface. All the several display-members B are alike inconstruction and operation, and all in a given series travel in the sameorbit successively. The said members follow each other in prescribedorder and with mechanical precision across the face of the machine andabout their orbit after they retire from displayposition, and all threefaces of each member are successively exposed as they traverse the frontof the machine, as will presently appear.

, Main frame A is supplemented by upper and lower curved frame pieces Dand E respectively, which describe a semi-circle intheir rear portionand come forward to frame A with straight sides or ends. Said curvedpieces mark the orbit of travel of the display-members,

and rotatable carriers 0 and 0, above and below respectively, supportsaid display-members in their rotary travel. Said carriers, 0 and G, arecircular or disk shaped, and are supported upon and rotatable withcentral rotatable shaft F. Said shaft itself is intermittently rotatableat predetermined times according as display faces 1, 2 and 3 are to beturned successively forward, and the mechanism for this purpose is shownI outwardly in said slots when the. display-memberscome around todisplay position, Fig. 3, and especially the two outer members onthe-display line in this figure. This is necessary to get the desiredalinement of said three members on theface of the machine. Otherwisesaid shafts remain in the inner ends or extremities of said slots. Saidlinks 6 arebeneath carrier C at the top of the machine and links 7 arepivoted on the top of carrier plate C and have rollers 10 on their endsoutside of their engagement with shafts 5 and on which said shaft andthe display member carried thereby rest and rotate. Now, in the travelof the display members in their orbit and in their alinement for displayseveral other parts are employed, as for example, the triangular aliningplate or device 12 on each shaft 5 near its upper end, the threefingered stars 14 on the lower. end of each of saidshafts, and the threefingered rotating star members 19 adapted to turn said members from faceto face on the display field. Both said stars or three fingered partsareidle in the travel about the circuit or orbit of the display-membersexcept in conjunction with the display position, but the triangularalining plates bear against a rim 15 supported by brackets 16 atintervals from frame member D, Fig. 9,

, and which serves to keep the display members in the shaft at each end,travels between the flat sided rim 15 and a guide member H which hasstraight sides h para lel to the straight sides of frame D and rim 15..The straight side of the said parts directs each display memher by itsshaft 5 to take its proper place on the dis-' play line and with room inadvance thereof for the other two of said members, Fig. 5. To effectalinement as approach to the front is thus made star 14 wipes on pin 17with the finger that has been on the outer circuit from the first andwhich corresponds to face 1 of the display member and whereby said faceis alined. Then said star goes idle until the third display position isreached when as display member 3at the end of the line is beingturned'anothe'r finger of said star wipes pin 18 and said member isthereby rotated to position for travel about its orbit. This action isrepeated at both left and right of themachine as each member B comessuccessively to place. The tri-iinger star 19 is employed exclusively toturn the display members a third way around on the display field, and tothis end said stars are adapted to reach through longitudinal slots in afixed rail or piece J extending across the top of the machine and whichis provided with webs 33 at regular intervals adapted to be engaged bysaid fingers to rotate the said members with each advance'movement ofthe said carriers. Said slotted rail or piece J serves for the severalsets of display members or rotating units extending from side to side ofthe machine, and the operations in each unit or set of display membersis the same in this and other particulars.

As three of said members come into line on the face of the machine theypass in front of the rigidly fixed frames H with the alining triangularplates 12 on shafts 5 resting edgewise against rail J, Fig. 3, andwith'sai d shafts engaged by the front edge of frameH and by separatespring pressed latches 34. Latches 34 are connected by links 35 neartheir ends with frame H and have springs 36 at their adjacent endspressing I filled, would leave a break between the units.

for each member B triangular plates 12 rigidly hold each member fromindividual rotation and a so aline all three members edge to edge toprovide a continuous flat display field at the front of the machine.

The mechanism for rotating carrier shafts F and the display members 13at intermittent intervals comprises a ratchet disk 40 at the bottom endof said shaft and a pawl 41 carried by a reciprocating bar 42 which isoperatively connected with an arm 43 having a roller 44 engaged withgrooved cam 44. Any suitable mechanism for performing this work may beemployed, but I prefer the form shown because of its simplicity andpositiveness of action and its adaptability to communicate rotation witha minimum of applied power. During the time carriers 0 and C are at restand members B are alined for display, I prefer to lock shaft F againstrotation, and to this end provide disk 40 with a series of radial slots45 into which a pivoted stop 46 is adapted to fall and rest. As bar 42carries pawl 41 forward for a new operating engagement with disk 40 step46 is raised out of locking position by the inclined rib 47 on bar 42engaging beneath side projection 48 on said stop 46. By thus lockingdisk 40'and shaft F at the time of alinement of the display members saidmembers are themselves positively locked against rotation and they bothhold a perfect line up until again released by releasing disk 40 andshaft F.

The several display members have solid ends 50 on which the sides orfaces-thereof are secured and which serve as means of engagement withthe shafts 5 pro- .jecting through said ends.

It will be seen in Fig. 3, particularly, that the tri or multi-sideddisplay members of the several unitary mechanisms shown thereing are sodisposed in relation 'to each other that the alined members of all thegroups or series come close together and make a perfectly fiat smoothand closely filledvdisplay surface, Fig. 1. To do this the three facingmembers in each group really occupy a width relatively wider than thecross section of the group and overlap at each side the interveningspaces of the groups or units, and which, if not thus It will also benoticed that each display member is rotated individually four timesincluding its entrance into the display column, its rotation therein todisplay all three of its sides before leaving the column, and finallyits tiurn part way around to leave the column.

What I claim is:-

1. In a display machine, a multi-sided display member and a shaftcentral thereof on which said member. is mounted, in combination withrotatably mounted carriers having open slots engaging the ends of saidshaft, a guide way for said shafts having a straight portion adapted toprovide a straight travel for the exhibition of the different sides ofsaid member, and means for independently rotat-v way for said shaftspartly circular and partly straight and means providing rotation of saidmembers during their travels about said straight portion of theguide-way.

3. In a display machinefa plurality of multisided display members androtatable carriers therefor having open slots about their edges,andmeans to mount said members on said carriers comprising a shaft foreach member enplay members.

gaged at its ends in the slots in said carriers, and a link for eachshaft top'and bottom pivoted on said carriers concentrically with saidslots.

4. In a display machine, a plurality of independently rotatable displaymembers and a central shaft on which each member is mounted, androtatable carriers at the ends of said members having slots in whichsaid shafts are engaged, combined with a circular guide'way having astraight front portion also engaged by said shafts, and means toindependently rotate said members in said slots during the travel ofsaid shafts in said straight portion of the guideway.

5. In a display machine, a plurality of multlsideddisplay membersadapted to rotate independently and having axles projecting beyond theirends, slotted carriers engaging said axles and links connecting saidaxles plvotally withsaid carriers.

6. In a display machine, a plurality of multislded dis-l play membersand shafts through said members, rotatable carriers having curved slotsopen at their outer ends, and engagingpsaid shafts and links pivoted onsaid carriers and engaging said shafts, the lower of said links havingrollers resting onethe carrier.

7. A display machine having a series of independently rotatablemulti-sided display members, an orbit of travel for the said memberscomprising an alining portion, with parallel sides, means to carry saiddisplay members about said orbit comprising top and bottom slottedcarriers and devices to aline a plurality of members in the same serieson the front of the machine between said parallel sides.

8. In a display machine, a plurality of multisided display membershaving flat sides at an angle to each other, rotatable disk shapedcarriers having substantially radial slots in which said members arerotatabiy mounted, and a guide for said members having a circular rearportion and substantially parallel side portions and a straightdisplayline for said members between said sides of the guide member.

9. In.a display machine, a series of operativeiy connected independentlyrotatable display members having each a shaft projecting centrallythrough its ends, means to rotate said members in circuit comprisingcarriers having open slots engagingat the ends of said shafts, and meansto aline two or more of said members at the same time, said meanscomprising an alining space having parallel walls confining the shaftsof said members front and rear at both ends.

10. In a display machine, a plurality of multisideddisplay members androtatable carriers therefor having open slots about their edges, shaftscarrying said display members and engaged in said slots, an orbit forsaid members having parallel walls top and bottom engaged by the endsofsaid shafts and constituting the display line of the machine, andmeans to cause said shafts to follow each other along said walls and torotate about their axis as they travel forward.

11. In a display machine,'a set of independently mounted display membersand carriers at the ends of said members whereby they are moved in theirorbit together, link connections between said members and said carriersand means to move a given number of said members at a time into displayalinement.

12. In a display machine, a suitable frame having circular rear portionstop and bottom and a straight display line at its front, a set ofcarriers centrally mounted in respect to said circular portions of theframe and provided with a series of radial curved open slots in theiredges, and a series of independently rotatable display members anountedin the saidslots in said carriers and adapted to travel for displaymembers straight at the front and circular at the rear, in combinationwith a series of display members vertically disposed in said orbit,means to carry said members about said orbit together and means to rotate said members separately in said straight portion comprisingseparate engaging devices for each of said dis- 14. 1;; a displaymachine, a main frame having rigid curved rear portions and straightfront portions, rotatable carriers concentric with said curved portionsand a shaft on which said carriers are mounted, and a series ofmultifaced display members mounted on said carriers and adapted to bealined in groups'of three'successively by said straight front portions.I

15. In a display machine, a unitary mechanism comprising a series ofcentrally pivoted multl-slded display members and means to rotate allsaid members in unison, in combination with means to aline three severalof said members at the same time in a display line comprising guideframes at the ends of said members constructed to move said membersoutward as the display line is approached.

16. In a display machine, a unitary mechanism com prising a series ofmnltisided display members, centrally pivoted, and means operativelyconnecting said members. in combination with means to aline a pluralityof said members at the same time comprising a straight alining wall,devices adapted to rotate thesaid members axially and means to carrysaid members forward in a straight line as they rotate.

17. In a display machine, a unitary-mechanism comprising a series ofindependently pivoted display members and means to rotate said membersin unison about a common center, in combination with means to-aline threseveral of said series of members at a time in the display field, saidalined members having a greater joint width than a cross section of themechanism of which they constitute a part.

18. In a display machine, a series oLmulti-sided display membersoperatively united, slotted carriers for said members, means to aline'aplurality 0 said members at the same time, means to cause said membersto traversetbe display line successively and to rotate from one displayposition to another, and means to make a positive alinement of saidseveral members after each rotation.

19. In a display machine, aplurality of unitary members and a shaftabout which saidmembers are adapted to rotate, carriers for said membershaving open slots, shafts in said members engaged in said slots andguides top and bottom engaging said shafts outward from the innerportions of said slots.

20. In a display machine, a plurality of rotatable display membershaving shafts, carriers with open slots engaging said shafts, an orbitfor said members having top erse the display line successively from sideto side and to turn each member a third of the Way round three severaltimes to complete their successive alinements.

22. In a display machine, a series of vertically disposed multisideddisplay members, positively. actuated carriers for rotating said membersin unison, mechanism for independently rotating each member, and meansto bring three of said members-into facial alinement at the same time,said means comprising devices to move the outer of said three membersoutward in their carriers.

23. In a display machine, a series of rotatable display members andshafts in their centers carrying the same, a fixed circuit in whichsaidmembers are adaptedto travel, upper and lower circular carriers havingopen slots engaging the ends of said shafts, means to aline a pluralityo f said members at the same time, edge to edge, and means to lock saidmembers against rotation while in alinement.

24. In a display machine, rotatable displayed members operativelyconnected about a common axis, mechanism to rotate said members intoalining position and means to lock said mechanism, in combination withslotted carriers for said members and means to move said members in saidslots to aline the same.

- 251. In a display machine, a series of rotatable display ends of saidshafts and adaptedto move said members into alining position during theperiod of display.

26. In a display machine, a series of rotatable display membersoperatively connected and an orbit for said members having a straightalining portion at its front in which the said members are adapted totravel successively, said straight portion constructed'to be occupied bya plurality of said members at the same time, and means tosimultaneously turn said members axially in said straight aliningportion.

27. In a display machine, a central shaft and carriers fixed thereonhaving curved open slots about their edges, ineombination with displaymembers having each a shaft mounted in corresponding' slots in saidcarriers, and means for separately alining and rotating said displaymembers in the place of display.

28. In a display machine, a set of rotatable carriers, display membershaving shafts operatively engaged by said carriers and said shaftshaving each an angular device fixed to one end thereof, and a wallengaged by said device adapted to prevent the rotation thereof and keepthe corresponding display member in a given line of travel.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence -of twowitnesses.

GEORGE W. CARR. Witnesses:

R. B. Mosnn, E. M. FISHER.

